Toothpaste dispenser and brush holder



3, 1954 c. E. LE BARON TOOTHPASTE DISPENSER AND BRUSH HOLDER Filed 001;. 8, 1962 A w Charles E LeBaron United States Patent 3,155,278 TOOTHPAbTE Dl'dllENSER AND BRUSH HOLDER Qharles E. Le Baron, 2726 Sacramento Ave, Pittsburgh,

Pa, assignor of one-half to Albert D. Zimmer, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Filed Get. 8, i962, der. No. 2283013 2 (Ilairns. (CL ZZZ-$3 This invention relates to a novel and useful toothpaste dispenser and brush holder and more specifically to an apparatus which is designed for securement to an upright supporting surface in a bathroom or the like and to support a collapsible tube of toothpaste together with a plurality of tooth brushes.

The toothpaste dispenser and brush holder of the instant invention is also provided with means whereby the collapsible tube of toothpaste supported thereby may be progressively collapsed without handling the collapsible tube in order to dispense toothpaste therefrom.

The main object of this invention is to provide a toothpaste dispenser and brush holder which may be utilized to support a collapsible tube containing toothpaste and a plurality of toothbrushes on a vertical supporting surface such as the wall of a bathroom and in a location rea ily accessible to those wishing to brush their teeth.

A further object of this invention, in accordance with the immediately preceding obiect, is to provide a toothpaste dispenser constructed in a manner whereby the collapsible toothpaste tube supported thereby may be progressively collapsed each time a person wishes to brush his teeth in order that toothpaste may be dispensed from the collapsible tube.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a toothpaste dispenser and brush holder constructed in a manner whereby it will have a pleasing appearance and will not suggest by its appearance that it is any other than a toothpaste tube and toothbrush holder.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a toothpaste dispenser and brush holder in accordance with the preceding objects which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being bad to the ccompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the toothpaste dispenser and brush holder of the instant invention shown with a collapsible tube of toothpaste and a toothbrush supported therefrom and illustrated in phantom lines;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 2-2 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 31-.' of FIGURE 2.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings the numeral it? generally designates the toothpaste dispenser and brush holder of the instant invention and which includes a generally U-shaped housing having a pair of upstanding parallel legs 12 and 14 interconnected at one pair of adjacent sides by means of an upright bight portion 16.

The biglit portion 16 is suitably apertured as at 19 and Zil for the reception of fasteners 22 and 24 whereby the bight portion 16 may be secured in surface-to-surface contacting relation with an upright supporting surface 26.

3,155,278 Patented Nov. 3, 1964 An upright panel member 18 is received between the sides or legs 12 and 14 of the housing 10 and has its lower edge portion clampingly received within an upwardly opening U-shaped clip 20 which is secured to the lower end portion of the bight portion 16 in any convenient manner such as by fastener 22.

The U-shaped clip 20 removably and pivotally supports the lower end of the panel member 18 for movement of the upper end of the latter toward and away from the upper end of the bight portion 16. The sides or legs 12 and 14 of the housing It include inwardly directed abutment flanges 26 and 28 whose upper ends are engageable by the opposite side marginal edge portions 39 and 32 of the panel member 13 to limit swinging movement of the upper free end of the panel member 18 away from the bight portion 16. When the panel member 18 is disposed in engagement with the flanges Z6 and 28 as viewed in FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings, an upwardly opening wedge shaped recess 34 is defined between the panel member 18 and the bight portion 16 for the reception of the lower end of an upright collapsible tube 36 of toothpaste.

A multi-channel member 38 has its bight portion 40 secured to the outer or front surface of the panel mem ber 18 in any convenient manner and defines a plurality of channels 42, 44, 46, and 3 for the reception of a plurality of toothbrushes. A panel member which is generally L-shaped in cross section and referred to by the reference numeral 5t? is provided and includes an upright leg 52 which overlies the bottom portion of the multi-channel member 38 and a horizontal leg 54 which comprises a bottom member for each of the channels 42, d4, 46 and d8 defined by the multi-channel member 38. The channels 42, 44, 4d and 48, when closed at their bottom ends by means of the horizontal leg 54, define a plurality of upwardly opening recesses adapted to receive toothbrushes such as toothbrush 56.

In operation, the channels or recesses 42, 44, 46 and 48 may each be used to support a toothbrush 56 with its bristle end disposed uppermost. A collapsible tube of toothpaste such as tube 36 may be positioned in the upwardly opening wedge shaped recess 34 after the housing 16 has been secured to the supporting surface 26 as hereinbefore set forth. When a person desires to brush his teeth, he may remove his toothbrush 56 from a corresponding channel and the cap d ll may be removed from the collapsible tube 36. Then, the upper end of the panel member 1% may be pushed toward the upper end of the bight portion 16 in order to partially collapse the tube 36 and to force toothpastes therefrom. After the toothpaste has been dispensed from the tube 36 and applied to the toothbrush 56, the cap 6i may again be replaced on the collapsible tube 36.

After the tube 36 is partially collapsed, it may be removed from the wedge shaped recess 34 and have its lower end rolled up as is conventional. Then, it may again be replaced within the recess 34 so that even the top portion thereof may be engaged between the confronting surfaces of the panel member 18 and bight portion 16. Should the folding or rolling up of the lower end of the tube 36 make it inaccessible or diflicult to remove from the recess 34, the panel member 18 may be removed merely by pulling upwardly thereon in order to disengage the lower end thereof from the U-shaped spring clip 2%.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A toothpaste dispenser and brush holder compris ing a generally U-shaped housing including a pair of generally parallel upstanding legs interconnected at one pair of adjacent sides by means or" an upright bight portion, said holder including means adapted to support said housing from an upright supporting surface with said bight portion disposed in surface-to-surface contacting relation with said surface and the free ends of said legs projecting away from said surface, an upwardly opening U-shaped spring clip secured to the lower portion of said hight portion, an upright panel member disposed between said legs and having its lower edge removably retained in said clip with the latter pivetally securing the lower end of said panel member to said housing for rotation about an axis extending between the lower ends of said legs and generally paralleling the lower edge of said panel member with the free upper end of said panel member swingable toward and away from the upper end of said bight portion, an upwardly opening toothbrush receiving member carried by the side of said panel member remote from said bight portion and spaced inwardly from the upstanding side edge portions of said panel member, the free upstanding edges of said legs, remote from said panel member terminating in inturned flanges between which said toothbrush receiving member is receivable, said flanges defining abutments'engageable by the opposite upstanding marginal edge portions of said panel member projecting outwardly beyond said toothbrush receiving member for limiting swinging movement of the upper end of said panel member away from said bight portion to a position defining an upwardly opening wedge shaped recess for the reception of an upright collapsible tube of toothpaste whereby the panel member may have its upper end pushed toward said bight portion in order to squeeze said collapsible tube and force toothpaste therefrom.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said toothbrush receiving member defines a plurality of upwardly opening recesses adapted to receive upright toothbrushes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,741,991 King Dec. 31, 1929 2,678,755 Buras May 18, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 850,623 Great Britain Oct. 5, 1960 

1. A TOOTHPASTE DISPENSER AND BRUSH HOLDER COMPRISING A GENERALLY U-SHAPED HOUSING INCLUDING A PAIR OF GENERALLY PARALLEL UPSTANDING LEGS INTERCONNECTED AT ONE PAIR OF ADJACENT SIDES BY MEANS OF AN UPRIGHT BIGHT PORTION, SAID HOLDER INCLUDING MEANS ADAPTED TO SUPPORT SAID HOUSING FROM AN UPRIGHT SUPPORTING SURFACE WITH SAID BIGHT PORTION DISPOSED IN SURFACE-TO-SURFACE CONTACTING RELATION WITH SAID SURFACE AND THE FREE ENDS OF SAID LEGS PROJECTING AWAY FROM SAID SURFACE, AN UPWARDLY OPENING U-SHAPED SPRING CLIP SECURED TO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID BIGHT PORTION, AN UPRIGHT PANEL MEMBER DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID LEGS AND HAVING ITS LOWER EDGE REMOVABLY RETAINED IN SAID CLIP WITH THE LATTER PIVOTALLY SECURING THE LOWER END OF SAID PANEL MEMBER TO SAID HOUSING FOR ROTATION ABOUT AN AXIS EXTENDING BETWEEN THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID LEGS AND GENERALLY PARALLELING THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID PANEL MEMBER WITH THE FREE UPPER END OF SAID PANEL MEMBER SWINGABLE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE UPPER END OF SAID BIGHT PORTION, AN UPWARDLY OPENING TOOTHBRUSH RECEIVING MEMBER CARRIED BY THE SIDE OF SAID PANEL MEMBER REMOTE FROM SAID BIGHT PORTION AND SPACED INWARDLY FROM THE UPSTANDING SIDE EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID PANEL MEMBER, THE FREE UPSTANDING EDGES OF SAID LEGS, REMOTE FROM SAID PANEL MEMBER TERMINATING IN INTURNED FLANGS BETWEEN WHICH SAID TOOTHBRUSH RECEIVING MEMBER IS RECEIVABLE, SAID FLANGES DEFINING ABUTMENTS ENGAGEABLE BY THE OPPOSITE UPSTANDING MARGINAL EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID PANEL MEMBER PROJECTING OUTWARDLY BEYOND SAID TOOTHBRUSH RECEIVING MEMBER FOR LIMITING SWINGING MOVEMENT OF THE UPPER END OF SAID PANEL MEMBER AWAY FROM SAID BIGHT PORTION TO A POSITION DEFINING AN UPWARDLY OPENING WEDGE SHAPED RECESS FOR THE RECEPTION OF AN UPRIGHT COLLAPSIBLE TUBE OF TOOTHPASTE WHEREBY THE PANEL MEMBER MAY HAVE ITS UPPER END PUSHED TOWARD SAID BIGHT PORTION IN ORDER TO SQUEEZE SAID COLLAPSIBLE TUBE AND FORCE TOOTHPASTE THEREFROM. 